Features

More than one million tons of sugarbeet pulp are generated annually by U.S. beet sugar processors. Finding profitable uses for the biodegradable pulp, which is the leftover residue from sugar extraction, is critical for the long-term economic viability of U.S. agribusiness.

A two-year Red River Valley study looking at the usefulness of sidedressing to correct in-season nitrogen deficiency produced mixed results. Its bottom line? The likely payoff — or lack thereof — depends upon the circumstances. Here’s an explanation.

While writing about the Hought brothers’ homemade stinger concept in this issue, I was reminded again of how many ingenious ideas have been conceived and implemented through the years by sugarbeet growers. That sort of innovation has been — and still is — the rule, not the exception, as growers come up with ways to do things more effectively . . . and/or more easily . . . and/or at less cost.

The Tibbetts brothers — Cody, Brock and Todd — are quick to emphasize that they still have a lot to learn about growing sugarbeets. After all, 2012 was just their third year of raising this crop. Plus, “our place is fundamentally a ranch, so it seems like the cows come first," quips Cody.